NaNoWriMo 2012 - Day 5

[ladyseishou]

Day 5 - 25 days remaining


Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good.

— Voltaire







Today's word count is 8,335 Nano Writer! And something to keep in mind: every word counts - even the ones that might seem too big or too small or just not quite right. Remember that you're writing a rough draft this month - it's not suppose to be perfect - but it needs to be written!

Questions? Comments? Funny or weird typos to share? It's all go odd ;-) So keep writing!

Comments

[paceisthetrick]

I've wondered about that very thing. (Today I have ploughed through 1500 words with HUGE gaping holes that will require additional research).

I am most influenced by historical fiction and I would be lying through my teeth if I said I didn't want to be the next Caleb Carr. :) When I read The Alienist (or Findley's Pilgrim or Grecian's The Yard) what I loved most was the historical accuracy. I think that is just from my training as an historian.

I originally started the story as fanfiction -- I was going to have a vampire coming out of the horrors of Ellis Island in 1911 discover the work of Jung and Freud and become a professor at Clark University. The asylum was chosen simply because of its proximity to Clark.

And then I saw the building.

Is it possible to fall in love with an inanimate object? :D I took one look at the building and was smitten. Then I fell in with a group of urban explorers who had been breaking into the buildings for decades. They had worked on Shutter Island (as experts as well as extras -- they KNEW the layout and how to get the cameramen where they needed to be for shots) and a whole new adventure began. I amassed a large collection of photos and videos from when the structure still stood and was put in touch with a number of psychiatrists who actually worked there.

So, I think it is my love for the physical structure that comes across in my character. I've put the awe and passion in him -- albeit supressed by years of being part of the establishment. The story is him recovering that sense of wonder -- the years of childhood when Worcester was a world unto itself. Witnessing its demolition unleashes those feelings.

Does that make any sense??????

PS I cried when they the wrecking ball hit the clocktower. :(((

[ladyseishou]

It sounds very much to me that your setting has become an important character in your story. It may even become the centerpiece of your theme. And as such is an important element to your plot (if nothing else it has become something that motivates your protagonist).

But... don't become enslaved by the details while writing your first draft. It's not cheating to use a "marker" of some kind that you can search for later to add to your list of "things you need answers for" (I use "xxx" as in "He knew komi for the Chinese games was xxx" and "komi" is a real word used by Go pros but that's another story ;-) Yeah, I know that "xxx" will be counted as a word but I also know that it's something that I'll be adding later (as opposed to writing something like "xxxx xxx and xxx").

So keep writing! Make notes for yourself to be added to your next draft. The important thing is to get the story down on paper so-to-speak and sweat the details later!

[paceisthetrick]

Thanks for the advice! I am working now. :)

[iosonochesono]

OT: I like the note idea. I was thinking about getting those page markers so I can mark places where I know I need to go back in and edit details, along with post-it pages to stick on print-outs that I've been reading away from the computer to try and catch errors I don't tend to notice on the computer.

[ladyseishou]

If it helps your writing process then reading through print-outs is not a bad idea especially if it helps you plan the next scene but please don't let it steal away writing time or interrupt the forward momentum of your story...